BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – At the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, former Hilltoppers Daewood Davis and Kahlef Hailassie signed undrafted free agent deals with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, respectively.
Both Davis and Hailassie transferred to WKU from Oregon before the start of the 2021 season, spending two years together on The Hill. Davis played wide receiver for the Tops while Hailassie starred at cornerback.
Davis was a key factor in two top-10 offenses during his time at WKU as the Tops finished second in the country in total offense in 2021 and seventh in 2022. Davis' role as a receiver helped the Hilltopper offense sport the leading passer in college football both years. In 23 games played at WKU, Davis caught 80 passes for 1,318 yards and 12 touchdowns. He established himself as one of the premier deep threats in college football during his career with a 16.5 yards per catch average. At the end of the 2022 campaign he was recognized with C-USA Honorable Mention status.
In his two seasons on The Hill, Hailassie earned All-Conference USA honors both years. The California native was named C-USA Honorable Mention in 2021 before improving to the C-USA second team in 2022. In 23 games played at WKU, Hailassie totaled 108 tackles, including 11 for loss and three sacks. He was a constant disruptor in the defensive backfield, intercepting three passes and breaking up an additional 16. He helped WKU's defense lead the nation in forced turnovers in 2022 by forcing two fumbles and recovering one.
Davis and Hailassie join former teammate Brodric Martin as the newest Hilltoppers in the NFL after Martin was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of this year's NFL Draft.
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